Artist Profile: Emily Reinhardt, Kevin Umaña & Sasha Santillan
Image credit: Emily, Kevin and Sasha’s Instagram pages
We are so excited to feature this group of artists and business owners, Nellies! Kansas City is so lucky to have Emily Reinhardt, Sasha Santillan and Kevin Umaña in our midst. Just down the street from The Nelle HQ, is a meticulously curated three-in-one shop. This unique space is part retail (Duet by Emily and Sasha), part art gallery (The Ekru Project by Emily and Kevin) and part art studio (The Object Enthusiast by Emily is in the back and Kevin’s painting studio and woodshop are in the basement). We find these highly creative humans to be inspiring, discerning and uniquely gifted. Read on for more on for more of their sources of inspiration, their beautiful visions and passion for art and the KC community and to learn a little more about this interesting trio.
You have $10,000 to spend at an art supply shop of your choice. Where do you go and what do you get?
ER: I know I would want to hire Ken Yakota to come to build me a fancy gas kiln. I’m not quite sure $10K would cover it but I think it would be a fabulous down payment!
KU: I would order myself a CNC Router machine! I spend so many laborious hours cutting wood and sanding, a tool like this could really save me some time and I could get some precise cutting. I’ll probably need to save some money for a dust eliminator too!.
SS: Okay, $10K... I’m buying all the fixings for a darkroom setup (black and white). Gimme an enlarger, the developing trays, and all the dektol. Whatever is leftover will go toward Ilford fiber paper and Old Holland oil paints.
Tell us how the concept of Duet came about?
SS: Duet is mine and Emily’s little song and dance! The shop was something we started talking about years ago when we first met. We both shared the dream of wanting to own a shop someday, and during many slow days of Covid lockdown last spring, we found ourselves talking about it non-stop.
ER: I was in between studios at that time and knew I wanted to find a new space with sidewalk access, something that could transform into two spaces - a shop and my studio. We looked at a handful of available spots, but it wasn’t until we found our building on 18th Street that Duet started to grow into what it is now!
SS: Kevin picked out the name Duet for us and it is a great fit. We’re focused primarily on art and objects, designed and made by independent artists, designers, and brands we admire.
Can you explain a bit more about what The Ekru Project is?
KU: The Ekru Project started as an online curatorial project between Emily and me, to stay connected to each other creatively, while also living in two different cities. We really just wanted to keep the art conversation alive, so we took turns posting artworks and information about artists we loved. Just general inspiration at the time.
ER: When we moved into our building last September, the middle space between Duet and my ceramics studio was kind of begging to be turned into a gallery space. So we listened! And it really is the perfect spot for displaying and sharing art with our community here.
KU: Owning a gallery and curating a gallery space were two things I always dreamt of pursuing. It felt unattainable when I lived in NYC and it wasn’t until we got this space that I felt it was the right time and place to get this started. At The Ekru Project, we’re focused primarily on emerging and underrepresented artists. I’m trying to spend more time lifting up other artists, amplifying their voices and unique points of view, and building a friendly community of people who want to celebrate art and the people who create it.
The house is on fire and you can only take three things, what are they?
SS: I’m grabbing my photo albums, my filing cabinet and…. I think that’s it?
KU: Gotta grab Ruby of course! I think I’d grab my computer too, and I’ll pack a backpack full of my art collection.
ER: Well if Kevin is grabbing Ruby, then my three grabs are the two ceramic sculptures made by my professor, Yoshi Ikeda, as well as the little piece his wife Ester made. Damn. That’s three!
What makes KC home?
ER: The people!! My family is here so I feel incredibly grateful that I get to be so close to them. I moved back to KC in 2016 and the friends I’ve made since then are really important to me.
KU: I second what Emily just said! Being relatively new here, it’s been great to have such an amazing support system so quickly. Everyone has been very warm and welcoming! Getting close with Emily’s family has also been a big deal for me here in KC.
SS: Yes, I agree with them. My people! I love venturing around the city and always seeing a familiar face.
Fave places in KC?
(All three are in agreement on the following ): Big Mood Natural Wines, Westport Cafe, The Antler Room, Artist and Craftsman Supply, Wild Way Coffee, Ça Va, Lucky Boys, The Pairing, Urban Mining, Crane Yard Clay and the Belger, Sura Eats, La Bodega, Broadway Cafe, Sister Anne’s, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and of course The Nelson-Atkins!
How have you been doing in pandemic times? What is something you’ve learned about yourself?
ER: I am really good at staying home, so being told to stay home was a welcomed change for me. I am a homebody by nature and my home life has always been important to me, so it was nice to get to spend so much time with Kevin and our dog Ruby! We cooked and baked a lot and I will truly treasure some of the moments and memories we’ve shared from this experience. I will say, the stress and worry of owning a business did get the best of me at times. I laid awake at night wondering if this was the end of the road for my business.
KU: The pandemic brought Emily and me together since I moved here from New York in the summer of 2020. So I got to learn how to live closely with somebody and we’ve grown a lot as a couple. Communication is easier and we learned how to keep ourselves busy when the world slows down to a halt. I’m also becoming more and more grateful for the things I used to take for granted, especially my health.
SS: The pandemic forced me to slow down and reevaluate nearly everything. I had to pivot for work- I was consulting and working in the service industry, which basically came to a stop. I made my mental and physical health my priority and I started actively pursuing a dream with Emily and Kevin.
A typical day off for you looks like…
SS: My days off are so practical. I start with working out and then doing some things around the house. I go to the grocery store and food prep and then try to do something fun like get a coffee or a cocktail with a friend.
KU: Emily and I typically go for long walks with Ruby or a big trip out to Shawnee Mission Dog Park! We love spoiling Ruby and like to include her in as many outings as possible.
ER: Yes, a day off is not complete without something special for Ruby too! Sleeping in on our days off is also crucial. I think we usually like to tie in some more adventurous cooking plans as well. We’ll take a trip to the grocery store and try something new in the kitchen for dinner!
Who would you love to collaborate with?
SS: I currently don’t have much of an art practice, so my collaboration would be with artists/designers to sell at the store. I really love Lilian Martinez’s work (her brand BFGF) so she would definitely be on my list.
ER: I have been dreaming of creating some hardware for clothing and jewelry accessories. Things like toggles and buttons. So it would be really cool to collaborate with a clothing designer or jewelry artist. I don’t know who yet, but if you’re out there, let’s make something together!
KU: Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, that guy was and probably still is an all-star genius. I’ve always wanted to be a musician, and I want my visual work to evoke the same feelings that I get when I listen to his music.
What would you like people to know about you, that they maybe don’t?
We’re a bunch of emotional Cancers over here at Duet! Sasha and Emily’s birth charts are practically identical since they were born one day apart from each other. Cancer Sun, Capricorn Moon, and a Virgo Rising for Emily and a Libra Rising for Sasha. Kevin’s a bit more complex - Cancer Sun, Virgo Moon, and Leo Rising.
What are three things that always cheer you up?
ER: Being with my dog Ruby. She always knows when I need some snuggles! I’m also very food motivated, so a meal or a snack almost always works, and some fresh flowers!
SS: My comfort foods (mainly chips & salsa), a nap and a nice beverage with a good friend.
KU: A touching song, the great outdoors, and a tasty dessert!
An Abby Yemm playlist for you…
Disclaimer: We love having these conversations. We hope you love them as well. As a peaceful reminder, all views, opinions, statements, feelings, and vibes posted on Nelle News are solely those of the beautiful individuals involved. They might not represent any other person, agency, organization, employer, or company’s views, opinions, statements, feelings, or vibes. Nelle profiles are meant to entertain and show a real-life conversation; nothing more or less.